Two miles off the coast of Harpswell, in beautiful Casco Bay, lies Eagle Island, the summer home of Adm. Robert E. Peary, America’s foremost Arctic explorer. This unique property is a Maine State Historic Site and a National Historic Landmark. Although the state is responsible for maintenance and day-to-day operations, valuable aid in the preservation work and operation is provided by a nonprofit, the Friends of Peary’s Eagle Island, which is the sponsor of the Eagle Island Docent Program.
In addition to being guides, our docents are the ambassadors of the island, working hard to make a visit to Eagle Island as informative and enjoyable as possible by sharing the history of the island, Adm. Peary, and the unique home he built there, now a museum. Some days are slow, some days we have to scramble to even find time to eat lunch, but each day we enjoy the breathtaking scenery, the smell of salt air, and the sound of surf and seagulls as a backdrop to the important work we are doing.
Unfortunately, pandemic-related events over the past two years have taken a heavy toll on our docent program, making it difficult to ensure that docents will be available daily to welcome visitors this season. Consequently, we are looking for new volunteers to join our docent family. Our volunteers come from a wide variety of backgrounds and are of various ages, but all agree that being a docent at Eagle Island is a unique opportunity and a most fun and rewarding volunteer experience.
If you are interested in becoming a docent, please visit the Friends website at pearyeagleisland.org or call 207-751-4966 or 207-751-8395 and we will be happy to discuss the program with you.
Wayne Miller & Gaye Miller, Co-coordinators, Eagle Island Docent Program
